Following weeks of controversy, Kneecap hit Glastonbury Festival on Saturday (June 28) with one of the weekend’s busiest sets.

The Northern Irish trio have been at the center of controversy since their Coachella performance back in April. At that show, they displayed a message that read: “Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinian people. It is being enabled by the U.S. government who arm and fund Israel despite their war crimes. F— Israel; free Palestine.”

Historic footage of the band from November 2024 allegedly showing support for Hezbollah – a militant group proscribed terror status in the U.K. – triggered an investigation and eventual charge under anti-terror laws for MC Mo Chara. He appeared in court earlier on June 18, with a hearing set for later this summer. He denies the charge, and says that it is a “carnival of distraction.”

The subsequent fallout has reached the top political office, with U.K. prime minister Sir Keir Starmer saying that he felt it was not “appropriate” for the group to perform at Glastonbury. A number of the trio’s contemporaries, including Massive Attack, Johnny Marr and CMAT, have backed the group in recent weeks amidst a campaign to have the band removed from the lineup.

The trio took the stage at the West Holts stage at 4 p.m. (BST) to a packed-out stage. The field was closed 45 minutes prior to the performance to avoid overcrowding, with thousands flocking to see the group.

The set began with clips of recent global news broadcasts about the band, including footage of Sharon Osbourne calling for them to have their U.S. work visas revoked. Mo Chara took to the stage in a Palestinian keffiyeh, while bandmate Móglaí Bap wore a Fontaines D.C. football shirt – with the Dublin band having continually voiced their support for Kneecap.

“Glastonbury, I’m a free man,” Mo Chara shouted shortly after “It’s Been Ages.” The crowd responded by raising a sea of Palestinian flags, while some festivalgoers let off red and green flares in support. “Has anyone been watching the news lately?,” added DJ Provai before starting a “Free Mo Chara” chant.

After rattling through highlights from their 2024 LP Fine Art, as well as a handful of unreleased tracks, the group referenced their ongoing legal case. “Mo Chara was in the Westminster court this month,” began Móglaí Bap. “He is back in court for a trumped-up terrorism charge. It’s not the first time there has been a miscarriage of justice for an Irish person in the British Justice System.” He then rallied the crowd to show up for Mo Chara’s hearing, which is scheduled to take place on Aug. 20.

Later on, Mo Chara acknowledged Glastonbury Festival and its owners, the Eavis family, for standing by them amidst calls for them to be removed from the line-up. “I want to say a big thank you to the Eavis family of Glastonbury. The pressure that the family was under [to drop us], but they stayed strong – fair play to them. The Prime Minister of your country – not mine – said he didn’t want us to play. So, f— Kier Starmer.

“This [legal] situation can be quite stressful for us at times. But the stress that we are feeling is minimal in comparison to what the Palestinian people are going through every single day. We are from West Belfast, a place that has experienced occupation. We understand colonialism and we understand how important it is to have international solidarity.”

The rapper also went on to discuss Ireland’s complex history of occupation by the United Kingdom and the country’s resulting political landscape. “The Irish suffered 800 years of colonialism under the British state,” he said. “But we were never bombed from under the skies with nowhere to go. The Palestinians have nowhere to f—ing go – literally. Not only are they being bombed from the skies, they are being starved to death in this day and age. I don’t have to lecture you people; we are all watching it, we all have a phone.”

He continued: “I can see the amount of Palestinian flags here and it is insane. The BBC editor is going to have some job [editing them out]. Sometimes we feel helpless, sometimes we feel like we aren’t doing enough and that is probably true sometimes – but this is about difference it makes to people in Palestine when they see this many people on the other side of the world screaming ‘Free Palestine’. I am so f—ing proud of all of yous.”

The band later thanked the Glastonbury crowd for their support, alluding to how the ensuing controversy has seen numerous live shows and festival appearances cancelled, as well as the band being dropped by their booking agent.

“Believe me, I know firsthand what happens when you speak out about Palestine in this industry,” said Mo Chara as the set drew to a close. “I spoke at Coachella and everyone in that f—ing tent agreed with me. The US media do not want to believe that young Americans agree with us; young people around the world know what’s going on.”

The band’s set was removed from the BBC’s livestream schedule, but earlier on Saturday it was confirmed their set would later be uploaded to the channel’s iPlayer service.

Glastonbury Festival saw sets from The 1975, Lorde, Lewis Capaldi and more on Friday (June 27) with Neil Young, Charli XCX, Olivia Rodrigo and more set to perform over the rest of the weekend.

From career milestones to new music releases to major announcements and those little important moments, Billboard editors highlight uplifting moments in Latin music. Here’s what happened in the Latin music world this week.

Karol G’s Documentary Played at Women’s Prison

Karol G’s Con Cora Foundation hosted screenings of the star’s Tomorrow Was Beautiful documentary for the women of El Pedregal prison in Medellín, Colombia. The initiative, according to a press release, “aimed to create a safe and uplifting space for reflection, inspiration and community among women deprived of liberty.”

The event featured two screenings of the documentary, accompanied by an educational moment centered around self-care. “Through the Con Cora Foundation, we’re proud to carry on our founder’s mission to uplift and empower women,” Valentina Bueno, executive director of Con Cora Foundation said in a statement. “With the support of partner organizations, we are able to share this story — one of resilience and hope — with these women, hoping to inspire them to dream big and to chase their dreams, because we believe they can make them into a reality.”

Prince Royce Crashes Zumba Class

Eos Fitness in Kendall, Miami got a surprise visit from Prince Royce when the bachata star crashed one of the Zumba classes this week. Those in attendance were working out to “Dancing in the Moonlight,” part of Royce’s Eterno album, when he joined them in class and danced with a few lucky Zumba students. He also snapped a few selfies with those that approached him with phone in hand.

Check out the special moment below:

Felix Contreras Special Award

The Hispanic Heritage Foundation announced that NPR’s Felix Contreras (Alt.Latino) will receive the 2025 Hispanic Heritage Award for Journalism at the 38th Annual Hispanic Heritage Awards. The ceremony will take place Sept. 4 at the Warner Theater in Washington, D.C. Contreras has dedicated over 40 years to reporting and producing TV news, radio, online and streaming journalism.

“Through his remarkable journey, he hasn’t just documented our stories but has authentically lived through the rhythms, beats and messages conveyed in the music,” Antonio Tijerino, president and CEO, Hispanic Heritage Awards expressed in a statement. “His passion for music and our community is palpable and musicians, not just his audience, feels it through the interviews, writings and performances. He’s a cultural ambassador who understands his responsibility to share and represent our community through music which fosters a greater understanding and appreciation of who we are as Latinos.”

Boleros de Noche

Boleros De Noche — an annual music event series launched in 2015 by Roberto Carlos as an effort to preserve, uplift, and celebrate Latin American bolero music in Los Angeles — is taking the celebration a bit further. On Friday, the city of L.A. officially declared Aug. 2 as “Día del Bolero.”

Since its launch, Boleros De Noche has presented over 20 concerts at the Ford Theater featuring artists such as Gaby Moreno, Marisoul from La Santa Cecilia and the legendary trio Los Panchos.

Latin Recording Academy Educator Award

The Latin Recording Academy and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation announced the launch of the Latin Music Educator Award. According to a press release, the new distinction will honor “one exceptional educator from the global music community who is making a significant impact by incorporating Latin music into their curriculum.”

Applications are now open to educators worldwide currently teaching kindergarten through high school in a public, private or charter school, who speak Spanish, Portuguese, English or any native dialect.

The inaugural recipient will be honored at the Special Awards Presentation during the 26th Annual Latin Grammy Week in Las Vegas in November. “Educators are pivotal in nurturing and shaping the future of Latin music and its creators,” Manuel Abud, CEO of The Latin Recording Academy, said in a statement. “Together with the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation, we are proud to honor those who ensure the enduring legacy of Latin music.”

Flo Milli is facing a copyright lawsuit over her hit 2023 song “Never Lose Me,” which allegedly sampled a beat that had been exclusively licensed to a man in Baltimore four years earlier.

The Friday (June 27) lawsuit targets Flo Milli (Tamia Monique Carter) over “Never Lose Me,” which peaked at No. 15 on the Billboard Hot 100, as well as Detroit rappers Babyface Ray (Marcellus Rayvon Register) and 42 Dugg (Dion Marquise Hayes) for their 2023 song “Ron Artest,” which Milli sampled on “Never.”

A man named Shamar Deal, who describes himself as a Baltimore, Md.-based songwriter and recording artist, claims that both “Never Lose Me” and “Ron Artest” infringe his exclusive license to a beat called “Youu” by the producer Gerreaux Katana.

According to the lawsuit, Deal bought “Youu” from Katana via the rap instrumental marketplace Traktrain in 2019. Deal says he was granted an exclusive license to the beat that was supposed to last 10 years.

But Katana allegedly violated this agreement in 2023 by re-licensing “Youu” to Babyface Ray and 42 Dugg, who used it as the foundation for “Ron Artest.” Deal says Flo Milli then sampled “Ron Artest” for “Never Lose Me,” repeating the Detroit rappers’ supposed infringement.

“As plaintiff currently holds the exclusive right to the composition, the incorporation of the composition in ‘Ron Artest’ and ‘Never Lose Me’ constitutes copyright infringement of Deal’s exclusive rights in the composition track,” writes Deal’s attorney Larry Zerner. “Deal brings the current lawsuit to recover damages for the violation of his copyright.”

Deal is seeking at least $1 million from Flo Milli, Babyface Ray, 42 Dugg and Katana. He also names EMPIRE and Sony Music Entertainment as defendants, saying the companies distributed the two songs at issue.

“Never Lose Me” was a chart success in 2023 and 2024, also climbing to No. 2 on Billboard‘s Rhythmic Airplay, No. 5 on Hot Rap Songs, No. 6 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and No. 7 on Streaming Songs.

The track has generated 947.5 million on-demand official streams globally, with 531.3 million of those in the United States, according to data from Luminate.

Billboard reached out to all the defendants or their reps for comment on the lawsuit Friday, but did not immediately receive any responses.